New Episode Drabble Series
by Firebird Scratches
Summary: One of my goals is to write one new drabble for each new episode, which I'll collect here. :) I'll just pick something that jumps out at me and roll with it. They'll all be K .
1. Eyes of the Chimera

A/N: NEW EPISODE, NEW EPISODE, NEW EPISODE :dances: I think one of my goals is going to be to write a short drabble after the release of each new ep. Just take something that jumped out at me and roll with it. These will all be K+. So, enjoy!

Eyes of the Chimera

Leo grunted, flexed his foot, and retracted it again. He reached for the bottle of ibuprofen next to his bed, popped two in, and took a swig from his bottle of water, setting it back on his nightstand.

He'd pushed it really hard today – he'd had to – and now he was paying for it. But still, he felt like today was an improvement. His leg might never be the same again – like his voice. He simply had to accept that; some injuries are permanent. But that didn't mean he had to let it slow him down. He reflected on the difference between his pained morning training session and his and April's forced march up the mountain side…it wasn't as if his knee had somehow magically healed in a few hours – he just had more important fish to fry (well, flying fish-worms to fry, anyway) and knew he _had_ to put it aside, _couldn't_ let it stop him. He realized now that his lousy mindset had been holding him back every bit as much as his injury - maybe more so. April had shown him that.

He smiled as he remembered her unwavering insistence that they get moving, get up that mountain, do _something_. The girl had literally _just_ been stricken blind, and at the time, had no idea how permanent that might be. Yet, she refused to blame Donnie, refused to feel frightened or sorry for herself – refused to let it slow her down. She was amazing.

He grinned to himself, and felt really grateful that she'd come into their family – he never had a sister before, and he found he was liking it. There was something easy about his relationship with April – she was at times a confidante, a cheerleader, a sympathetic ear, a shoulder to lean on…and wasn't afraid to call him out for his nonsense, either, or snap him out of it when he got stuck in his head.

Sometimes with a rolled up magazine, he remembered with a chuckle. But that brought up thoughts of Karai, and he quickly pushed them aside.

He scowled momentarily. He'd have to have a word with Donnie. He should know better than to go scrambling with April's brain on a hunch. Leo rubbed his fingers around his knee joint, idly. They should all know the price of overconfidence by now.

There was a timid knock on the door, and Michaelangelo poked his head in. 

"Hey, buddy," Leo smiled, "Heading to bed?"

"Yup," Mikey smiled, "Just wanted to say g'nite. Oh, and give you this."

He tossed a package of frozen peas to Leo, who smiled gratefully.

"Icky says 'Hi.'"

"Icky?"

"'Ice Cream Kitty,' bro."

Leo grinned. "Cute. I like it."

"'Course you do. I'm super good at namin' stuff."

Leo settled the peas into the crook of his knee and sighed.

"Thanks, for this."

Mikey grinned.

"Not a thing, chicken wing. How's it comin' along?"

Leo's smile became a bit fixed. It was a question he'd gotten used to. "Hurts, but…I think I turned a corner."

Mikey smiled and nodded, but he didn't make a move to leave. Leo could sense he still had something he wanted to ask.

"What's up?" he prompted.

"Ah, nothin'," Mikey said. He drummed on the doorframe, looking at his fingers, "Just…when the Turducken carried us off to his nest, there were like – all these skeletons around."

Leo got very still. The others hadn't told him this.

"Y'know, like, Halloween-type skeletons?" Mikey chuckled, "it was crazy, dude. I was like, 'whaaaaat?' Heh. But…they were probably just animal bones, though, right?"

His baby blue eyes met Leo's cautiously.

"Right, Leo?"

Leo swallowed.

"Yeah. Yeah, probably."

"Yeah, I figured," Mikey said, sighing and smiling in relief, "Just…I dunno, they looked a bit like people bones to me. But I was buggin' out, so…my mind was probably just playing tricks on me. Y'know, like, exaggerating everything – in my _brain_."

Leo nodded noncommittally, and suppressed a wave of anxiety, aware that every minute they were not back in action, every minute he hid here to heal, was another minute that the Kraang, and the mutagen they recklessly scattered all over the city, was wreaking havoc – costing lives. 

"Yeah," Mikey said, nodding as though reassuring himself, "That's what I figured. Okay! G'nite, Leo."

"G'nite. Hey, uh, Mikey?"

Mikey paused, and poked his head back in the door.

"You did good today," Leo said, smiling, "Get some rest. I'm down the hall if you need anything."

Mikey nodded and gave him a thumbs-up, gently closing the door behind him.

Leo shook his head slowly. They'd been gone too long. There were people that needed them. Tomorrow – tomorrow they'd have to start training in earnest.

Not, not training – preparing. Preparing for war. 


	2. Vision Quest

"Sorry, April, ninjas only."

_…Um. What?_

"I'm almost a full-on _kunoichi!"_

"Yeah," Raph laughed sarcastically, not even bothering to turn around, "_Almost._"

April clenched her fists at her sides, drawing deep breaths through her nostrils. Casey was saying something leering and gross, but she'd gotten so used to tuning him out, she didn't even hear it.

So. At the end of the day, this is what it came down to? No room in the Teenage Mutant Club House, huh? "No Girls Allowed," that it?

Funny. Donnie didn't seem to mind having her around when it was time to moon over her, or show off, or – oh yeah! – experiment on her _brain _and _blind_ her like his personal red-headed guinea pig. Yet she was expected to be patient, gracious, kind, supportive…and come crunch time, he couldn't say _one word_ in her defense?!

Leo didn't seem to mind having her around to pull his head out of his…_shell_, when he couldn't be bothered leaving the farmhouse to save his own brothers! She'd been struck blind about _twenty minutes_ prior, and she'd been the one to practically _drag_ him up that mountain!

Okay, Leo had been through the wringer, no one was arguing that - but nobody needed a "Vision Quest" to figure out that his knee was the _least_ of his problems – that he was transferring all of his fears, bundling all of his deepest anxieties into one convenient source of blame.

But after all they'd been through together…after coming to think of him like family, like the big brother she'd always wanted, but never had – after nearly losing him, and trying to patiently, lovingly guide him back to himself again – it's "Sorry, April?"

Mikey sure didn't mind having April around, when he needed someone to stick up for him! (Or pick up after him, for that matter!) His brothers dog-piled on him all the time, called him names; "stupid," "clumsy," a "lousy ninja" – their own brother! When Mikey ran away, who was it that called them out for it? Who stood up for him? That's right! Kid Sister to the rescue. But where was Kid Brother when it was time to stick up for _her_? Nope. "Sorry, April."

And Raph…

April felt her eyes sting, and bit it back, inhaling deeply.

Okay, she shouldn't let this get to her. Raph could be a jerk. Everybody _knew_ that Raph could be a jerk.

He didn't even turn _around_. He had _laughed_ at her, and didn't even turn his _head_.

Was she that much of a _joke_ to him? He had been helping them all so much with their training, since New York…Was it just a waste of his time, then? All her progress, all the hard work she'd put in, pushing her body to its limit, _refusing_ to show weakness, _refusing_ to be the weak link, refusing to even process _half _of the crazy she'd been through, pouring it all into getting stronger, better, faster –

But to him, she was still the silly girl "playing ninja." 

She shook her head and smoothed a hand over her hair. Calm down. Maybe this wasn't a Boy's Club thing. After all, they hadn't asked Casey, either. Maybe this was just a family thing.

Which made it even worse. Because she had really thought…

_"You haven't lost your family – because we're your family, April!"_

A dull ache spread through her chest as she remembered Mikey's words. Was he just being nice? The words had seemed so easy for him to say, had felt so right. It was exactly what she needed to hear at one of her lowest, loneliest moments…but were those words just as easy to forget? She knew she wasn't their equal as a ninja; not yet. Maybe never. But hadn't she earned a place at their side, as…well, as a sister? She felt foolish now, just thinking it.

Guess that's the difference between "sister," and "_like _a sister."

Know what? Fine.

Never mind that she'd saved them _all_ from Kraang Prime. Never mind that in the past few months, she'd lost her father _(again!)_ her home _(again!)_ her _sensei_, been attacked by the Kraang, the Foot, the Creep, a grotesque failed experiment that she had thought was her long-lost mother (thanks for _that_, Universe), Dream Beavers, mutant _frog_ people, a killer_ muscle car_, and a _Turducken_!

All the while, stiff-arming Casey, protecting Donnie's fragile ego, sticking up for Mikey, dealing with Raph's "moods" and trying to lovingly encourage Leo to quit being a _basket_ case and_ lead_, already!

But a training exercise in the woods?! Woah, there – Stay in your lane. You better hang back and kick logs with Casey. 

"So, Red…looks like it's just gonna be you and me," Casey drawled, waggling his eyebrows and stepping just a few inches into her personal space…again.

She grabbed another log off the ground and thrust it forcefully into Casey's chest.

"Just hold it steady," she hissed, through gritted teeth.

So, they wanted her to break the log, huh? Oh, she'd break it, alright. In fact, by the time they got back from their little _nature hike_, she'd have a cord of firewood waiting for 'em the size of the Empire State Building!

"Hah!"

Ow.

"Nnnn_YAH_!"

Ow. She shook out her wrist.

April missed Master Splinter. He would know what to say right now; something about quieting her mind, or striking _through_ the wood. Even when he made no sense, even when it was obvious just how much she still had to learn – he had never, ever, not once, condescended to her, talked down to her, or gone easy on her; he never treated her differently than he would have treated any of his sons. The more they trained together, the more she wanted to push her limits, wanted to always hit her personal best.

Training kept her sane, made her feel like there was something she could control, even if it was just her own mind and body. When her life was spiraling into crazy, totally unrecognizable, Splinter had given that feeling of control back to her. When she met with his approval, when he was pleased with her progress – it lit her up from the inside like a flame, filled her with pride, confidence, determination…

Splinter had _always_ believed in her.

Now…who even knew where he was? Or if he was even…

She threw a lame punch, her heart heavy in her chest.

"Hn."

Ow.

Maybe she should just quit.

"I toldja I could soften it up for you. Wanna switch, let me show ya how it's done?"

The fire in April's gut flickered back to life. The same stubborn flame that had guided her through this tumultuous, terrifying, heart-breaking year - this surreal, waking nightmare that was their new normal.

_"Show me how it's done," huh?_

"Grr_rrAAH!"  
_  
Ow.

"_Ow!_' Casey echoed her thoughts, rubbing his chest where the log had slipped from his grip and struck him.

April tried not to enjoy it too much. 

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt  
**  
**A/N: HRMmm. In fairness, there were some things I loved about this episode. But all told, it felt rushed…I wish they'd broken it up into two parts. And here's how that scene with April should've gone:**

**APRIL: A camping trip sounds like a great idea!  
LEO: It's more than that, April. We're trying to connect to the spirit world…it's sacred…and dangerous.**

**APRIL: Oh.  
LEO: This is something we need to do together – as brothers. I'm sorry.  
APRIL: :sighs: I understand. Just come home safe.  
LEO: Thanks, April. **

_**:they hug: **_

**See?! Was that so hard?! Here's pretty much how it actually went:  
**

**APRIL: Yay, camping! **

**LEO: Not for you, Tits McGee**

**APRIL: But –**

**RAPH: L8R NOOB.**

**APRIL: …**

**CASEY: Soooo…wanna make out?  
**

**:HEADDESK:**


	3. Return to New York

It seems so foolish now

Years of rigorous training

Hours of meditation 

Honing mind and body

Holding the beast in me at bay

Hoarding my humanity like a marble, or a button

Shiny

And worthless.

A warped, broken, freakish body

A shattered mind

A broken heart

Doesn't matter

None of it matters

What is the point of a mind-body connection

When you're losing your mind?

Objects? Clothing? This home?

Nothing. Discard them.

Words? Leave them, too.

Less to carry.

No memory. No pain, no loss.

Give it all up

Release the white-knuckle grip, finger by –

Claw by claw.

Like you should have done years ago

"Hamato Yoshi"

Who?

So foolish.

Gone.

Gone with my children.

There is only this, now.

There is only a _rat. _


	4. Serpent Hunt

"Karai…we're trying to help you!"

"She's becoming more snakelike by the hour," Donnie said, frankly. Leo was seized by the sudden urge to kick him in the shin.

_Thanks, Captain Obvious._

"She doesn't understand, Leo," Donnie added sadly.

"She understands," Leo refuted firmly, convincing himself as much as his brothers.

_She has to.  
_  
Karai eyed him with an evil glint in her green eyes, preparing to strike. Leo let his stance drop, katana pointed uselessly at the floor, gambling it all on the next few moments.

He knew he couldn't hurt her, anyway.

"It's us, Karai," he said, as calmly as he could.

_It's me. _

"Try to remember."

She hissed, seemed about to strike, when something changed in her eyes.

"L-Leo?" she hissed.

Leonardo didn't realize just how hard he'd fallen until he heard his name on her snake-like tongue. His heart literally skipped a beat – he always thought that was just a fancy turn of phrase, something novelists made up to sound poetic. But his heart jerked painfully in his chest.

_She remembers me! She's still in there! _

"That's right," he said, encouragingly, "Remember who you are."

She hissed in agony, her form shifting fluidly, until she lay on the ground in her human form, panting and frightened.

"Leo…help me…pleasssssse."

_What did they do to you?_

"Karai, come with us."

"No," she hissed, eyes wild, "Too…dangerousssss."

All the effort they were putting in to finding her, protecting her – and she was still trying to protect them.

A flame burned brightly in his chest, fueled by certainty. He _knew_ there was good in her.

He'd _always _known it.

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

"Give me back my _daughter!"_

This man had put him in a coma.

It didn't even occur to him to be afraid. 

"She's _not_ your daughter!"

Heedless of the danger, he flung himself into battle. No matter what, he wasn't leaving her today without –

Karai. They had her. No! No, no, no!

Leo quickly did the math – even without him, it was still three on one. His brothers could hold him. They had to.

He watched as Steranko pressed a button, and Karai's snake-like form was riddled with blue electricity, heard her enraged cry of anguish, and math went out the window – he snarled and lunged forward. He felt the thirst of his blades as keenly as his own, but forced himself to keep it in check. This creep didn't deserve his steel.

He sent a flying kick square into Steranko's chest, sending him soaring.

_Under my foot. Where you belong. _

A flash of his katana and Karai was free of that disgusting shock collar.

Leo scanned the battlefield as a tactician, the mental math flooding back to him now that Karai was safe…and with a sinking feeling, he realized none of them were safe. This wasn't the time to make their stand. Even if they might come out victorious, he couldn't risk Karai's capture…and it was a miracle the Kraang weren't already on top of them.

"Karai," he said, his heart sinking, "Go. Run. You have to go."

Karai looked as though she might argue, looked as though there was more she needed to say.

_I know the feeling._

"Comet."

_Huh?_

"Comet," she repeated, pointing east, over the skyline of Manhattan.

"Comet?" Leo repeated, "What does that – "

But she was gone.

"_No!" _

Leo glanced up, saw the Shredder watching her departure with fury stamped on his ruined face. Leo allowed himself some smug satisfaction.

_Not yours. Never yours. Never again. _

"_Mine,"_ whispered a small voice in the back of his mind. He pushed it aside, instantly ashamed of himself.

Karai had been a pawn long enough. She didn't deserve to be _used_ like this, wasn't a tool to manipulate, a treasure to hoard, or a bargaining chip…She belonged to _nobody_ but herself.

As he and his brothers disappeared in a cloud of smoke and made their escape, he risked one backwards glance at the water, imagining he could still see the ripples from her abrupt departure.

_Soon. I promise. _

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

**A/N: Man, that's rough Leo. Y'know what might have helped on this mission?**

**AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS?! -_-;**

**::EPIC BAD GUY BOSS FIGHT ENSUES. JUMP CUT TO::**

**::Splinter, April, and Casey sitting in pizza parlor::**

**April: Got any threes?  
Casey: Go fish.  
Splinter: Siiiiiigh. **


	5. NOOOOOOOO (an)

TURTLES DIDN'T RECORD. T_T

DVR – Y U DO DIS? :,((((((((

This chapter will be replaced as soon as I can somehow find the new episode.

WEEP FOR ME.

UPDATE:

Apparently they're on hiatus, again. :( No clue when they're coming back. Someone suggested I write drabbles for earlier episodes...I may do that some day, but I will probably make it a separate document and start at the beginning. For now I'll probably just work on Best Selves until they're back. (Warning for younger readers: Best Selves is MA. PLEASE don't read it if you're under 18. Thx, all!)


	6. The Pig and the Rhino

**The Pig and the Rhino ******

**A/N: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG new eps, new eps I'm DYINGGGGG and April and CAsey finally got to participate! **

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt****TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

Casey was putting his feet up on the couch, hands casually behind his head, as Mikey flopped on the floor watching Crognard the Barbarian. He would've moved, but Mikey liked to get right up close to the TV - way too close, honestly. If he pulled that, his dad would yell at him that he was gonna rot his brain and ruin his eyes.

Good times.

Casey grinned to himself lopsidedly. The way Mikey was kicking his feet lazily in the air reminded him of his little sister. She did the same thing when she was watching Pony Princess Party.

It hurt that they were no closer to finding them - and he had to face the possibility that they might never find them again…but little things like this kinda felt like a sign…like his little sister was waving hello.

Only, y'know - with Mikey's feet.

Well, whatever. It made him feel a little better.

The TV abruptly shut off and Mikey let out an annoyed groan.

"Let's get this meeting started," Leo said, in his most leader-y voice.

_Sweet! _Time for some action. Maybe they'd finally let him crack some skulls this time around.

"Alright," Raph said, "I've got things to do and bad guys to mess up."

Casey grinned. As usual, Raph was right on his level.

"Karai's still out there," Leo said, his brow furrowed with concern, "The last thing she said to me was the word 'comet.'"

Casey eyed the turtles as they clustered around Donnie typing away. He angled his sneakers on the back of the sofa so that they hid Donnie from his view. Ahhh….much better. If only erasing him from _reality _was as easy.

Yeah, he and Donnie had been getting along better lately, since that whole thing went down with Speed Demon, but…lately, he was seriously rubbing him the wrong way. Especially now that they were living in such tight quarters.

Especially now that they were living in such tight quarters with _April._

Speaking of _tight_ \- April was draped over the counter, completely oblivious to the fact that her short shorts (and everything in them) were pretty much right at eye level. Casey tried very diligently not to stare.

_Right. Meeting. Comet. Aliens. Theories_.

"So what's that supposed to mean? A giant comet's coming? The earth's _doomed_?"

"Feels like it could be a location," April said, thoughtfully, "Maybe where she'd hiding out?"

Casey tried to pay attention while April was talking, but felt his eyes drawn irresistibly to April's butt…man, she really had a nice -

"Donnie's found three locations with the word 'comet' in them," Leo replied, "D?"

Casey resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Donnie held court.

_Oo, you did a Google search. A round of applause for the resident genius. Please, even I could've - _

"We've got Comet Cleaners on Bleeker Street, here…Earth versus the Comet Creeps is playing at the Argosy Theater here…and then we've got the Coney Comet roller coaster on Coney Island here. So one of these places could be her lair…theoretically."

"_Oo, oo, oo!_" Mikey begged, "Can I check out the Comet Roller Coaster? Pleeeeease? Come on, Leo, hook a turtle up!"

Casey's ears perked up, and he sat up on the couch. Were they splitting up? Was it splitting up time? He subconsciously leaned in a bit closer to April.

"Donnie and April, you take Comet Cleaners," Leo said, without even stopping to think about it, "Raph and Casey, you take the movie theater…me and Mikey will check out Coney Island."

Casey's jaw hung open. Oh come _ON! _He glanced over, and Donnie was already giving him that smug little gap-toothed grin, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ugh! How come nobody ever saw THAT?! Donnie could be such a jerk sometimes, but when he complained about it, HE was the jerk?

Casey felt a mild surge of annoyance at Leo. So _that__'__s _how it is, huh? Like Mikey said - "hook a turtle up," right?

He dismissed the idea as sour grapes as soon as it occurred to him, though - Leo didn't care about stuff like that. He was so focused on finding Karai, all he cared about was the mission.

'Sides, he and Raph had always worked together in the past, so it probably seemed logical to Leo to pair them up. Hey, at least he actually got to DO something this time around. Maybe he n' Raph'd even get to K.O. some Kraang bots. That'd cheer him up.

He just wished Donnie didn't have to be such a smug little _dork_ about it.

Hey…y'know, _Donnie _was pretty sneaky…he wouldn't put it past him to _ask_ Leo if he could pair up with -

Whoops. Wasn't paying attention. Donnie had just thrown what looked like a weird dart-gun with a jar of Tang attached to it their way…Raph caught it, fortunately.

"Each team gets one," Donnie was saying, "It'll be weeks before I finish more."

"So in other words, don't waste it," Raph said, "Gotcha."

Casey eyed the jar of Tang-lookin' stuff, and his respect for Donnie begrudgingly climbed a few notches.

_Okay, so…maybe he IS kind of a genius. I mean - how many people can just make retro-mutagen with stolen junk in an abandoned pizza parlor? _

"Karai's condition is unique. There's no guarantee this'll even work on her," Don qualified, with a nervous downwards glance.

It seemed like he was already bracing Leo for the worst. Casey didn't want to jinx anything, but he kinda had a bad feeling about the whole "Karai" situation. Maybe it's just 'cause Raph never liked her much, but…it felt like more than that, this time around. Like they were fighting a losing battle.

But, he knew that when the time came to find his Dad and his little sister - he'd want them fighting by his side, no matter how hopeless it seemed. So they had to try.

"All we can do is try, Donnie," April said, mirroring his thoughts exactly.

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt****TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

Casey followed Raph, as they slunk behind the movie screen. The cheesy 50's dialogue washed over him…some movie about alien brains.

Yeah. Little close to home, there.

The whole thing struck him as weird and creepy anyway. A movie? Seriously? Who is still screening movies? The whole city is shut down! There isn't even anyone in the theater! Clearly the Kraang aren't watching it. Was there just like - one lonely dude up in the projection booth? Just keeping the lights on, because he didn't know what the heck else to do?

That thought made him even sadder. He tried not to think about it too much.

"Aaah, these Ooze Specs aren't workin' right," Raph complained, as they hit the street, "Maybe I should call Donnie."

Casey grumbled. Sure, the Boy Genius's Wonder Goggles were busted. He'll know how to fix 'em. Oh wait - if he did, they'd already be working. Right now, he was probably drooling all over -

"It's not your specs, dude," Casey replied in irritation, "We searched every inch of the place. Karai's definitely not here."

"Let's check one last time," Raph said, turning back to the theater, "Maybe there's a basem - "

He was cut off by a loud roar from behind them.

Oh crud.

Casey spun on his heel, ready for anythi -

Um. Okay. Maybe ready for anything except THAT.

"Vell, vell, vell, Komrade Zeck make good on information," drawled the humanoid rhinoceros with a thick Russian accent, "Turtle here…and strange human friend?

"Woah - another mutant?"

Wait - "Strange human friend?!" Who was he callin' strange?! This guy was…well…actually?

"Dude - he's kinda rad!"

"Rad," the hulking gray behemoth replied with a menacing grin, "and Strong!"

And with that, the giant mutant rhinoceros casually picked up a car and threw it their way.

_CARCARCAR DUDE CAR_

It's weird what you notice in moments like that. For example, with his back pressed flat against the ticket booth, Casey observed, as the car flew inches past his face, that there was some pretty bad salt corrosion on the undercarriage. Gotta be careful with that…one good pothole, and you're leaking coolant.

_Dude should really take better care of his car. _

Said car landed with an almighty crash of rent metal, and Casey turned his head instinctively and shut his eyes against flying bits of automobile.

Yeah, well - salt corrosion was the least of their worries now.

He kinda hoped Raph wasn't dead. He probably wasn't - I mean, if _he _had time to get out of the way, Raph _totally_ did with his whole, bein' a ninja thing.

With a wordless battle cry, Raph flung himself head-first at the raging Rhino.

_Ah, good. Not dead. _

_Let's dance. _

Casey hastily fished some exploding pucks out of his bag, and dropped them to the ground. He fired them expertly almost as soon as they hit the pavement - five perfect slap shots, five explosions right on target.

_Hah! Eat that, Hornhead! _

_Heh. S'probably what Mikey was gonna -_

_Oh. Um. _

Not only had he swatted Raph away like a fly, not only was he was still _standing_, it looked like the explosions had absolutely zero effect. Their attack didn't even make a dent. He just glowered back at him with an evil glint in his beady little eyes…

"The July of fourth," he drawled sarcastically, "Fireworks do you nothing.

Casey screwed up his war face under his mask. Popping out his skates, he unleashed his favorite baseball bat, and made a wide arc, building his momentum.

"Well let's see what _this_ does! _GOONGALA!_"

With all his strength, he swang for the bleacher, aiming right for the thing's nose - a broken nose was always a crowd-pleaser. Hurt like a mother, was dizzying, even blinding, because the eyes inevitably watered, and -

_Orrrr you could just shatter your favorite baseball bat. Great. _

"Okay, that didn't work."

Just like the car, it felt like the huge gray fist with the gold sickle was coming at him in slow motion - but there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. His mask dispersed the force of the blow over his entire face, and he felt his feet lift off the ground, as he went sailing through the air, landing with a crunch back at the ticket booth. He groaned, and the ground shuddered as the rhino-freak started stomping towards him.

"NO! Casey!"

At the sound of Raph's voice, the beast turned and made its way towards Raph. Casey watched, through blurred double-vision as he hooked Raph with his horn, drove him fiercely into the ground, and charged, dragging him across the pavement until he flung him against the wall. Raph slumped to the ground and was still.

_No! _

Casey scrabbled over on his hands knees, shaking Raph by the shell in a panic.

"Raph! Wake up, Raph! _Wake up!_"

_Don't be dead, dude, seriously, don't be -_

There was snort from behind him, and Casey slowly turned, his heart thudding in his chest.

_Yeah, this is gonna hurt. _

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt****TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

**A/N: OMGOMGOMGOMG MIGHTY MUTANIMALS I CAME BACK TO LIFE AND THEN DIED AGAIN!**

**Also, "I don't wanna be a pig! The ladies don't love pigs!" WELP there goes my head!canon that Zeck is gay. :P OH well! XD **


	7. The Pig and the Rhino, ctd

The Pig and the Rhino (ctd)

Casey felt like his ears were full of cotton, and felt a deep throbbing boom behind his eyes. His eyelids fluttered open slowly, and for a moment, he practiced opening and closing them, wondering nervously why he only saw black. The throbbing became particularly ugly, and he groaned in pain.

"Casey? Casey!" April's voice cried.

"Ahh!" Casey winced, "Not so loud, Red. Some of us are a little concussed, here."

"Sorry," she whispered, "Is Raph okay? I can't get Donnie or Raph to wake up."

"Why can't I see?" Casey finally asked, not really sure he wanted the answer.

"We're in the back of a van," April explained, "They found out where we were going to look for Karai…If the four of us are here, that means they probably took us to Coney Island…we've got to find some way to warn Mike and Leo!"

But even as she was saying this, Casey heard a shouting from outside the van.

"Turtles! Come out and _playyyayyyyy!_"

"Oh no," April whispered, "They already found them!"

Donnie groaned softly.

"Donnie?! _Donnie!_" April cried joyfully. Casey winced at the relief in her voice.

_It doesn't mean anything. She's just glad he's alright. Stop being a jealous little punk and focus on the mission!_

"I'll try and wake Raph," Casey whispered.

He crawled around the van, feeling with his hands until he found a shell…but whose? Donnie's, or Raph's?

"Wha - happened?…" Donnie asked groggily from a few feet away.

"Okay, so this must be Raph. Wake up, buddy!"

Casey felt along Raph's shell until he found his face. Wait - face? Nope, leg. Okay, other way…yep, face. There's the mask.

"Try to lie still, Donnie," April whispered, "We've been kidnapped by that warthog mutant."

Wait - warthog? So there were _two_ of them? Not good. Casey heard some more yelling from outside the van, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Come on, Raph. Wakey wakey."

Casey gave Raph a gentle slap.

Nothin'.

He reached back and tried a little harder.

"Nng!"

That did it.

"Uggghhh…wha…where?" Raph groaned.

"Back of a van. Red says we're at Coney Island."

"Wait, shh!" April said.

They all froze and listened. There was the faintest scratching at the rear of the van.

Casey wished he could see April's face right now. He didn't know what to do - should they call out? See who it was? What if it was them, coming back again? She didn't say anything, so he decided he better keep quiet, too.

Suddenly, he heard a high-pitched, kind of whiny voice:

"Ah-hah! You think you can get past my goggles, son? I saw you a mile away!"

This was followed by a familiar battle cry. Mikey - that was Mikey!

The scratching at the lock intensified. That must make that Leo, then!

"Leo!" Casey called, crawling over to the door, "Leo, is that you?"

"Yeah! Hang on, I'm trying to get you out. Mikey is keeping them dist - no - NO!"

Casey suddenly heard Leo's feet pounding the wooden boardwalk, fading as he ran from the van.

"Leo?! Leo, what's happening?!"

Casey started pounding on the van door. Whatever was happening to Mikey, Leo had sounded seriously freaked.

"Casey, stop!" April said, "I can't hear!"

They both crawled over to the side of the van and pressed their ears to the metal, trying to hear what was going on, but it was hopeless. After what felt like years, the rear door of the van finally flew open, and they were blinking against the dim evening light, not sure what was waiting for them…

"Leo!" cried April.

"Sorry it took so long, April," Leo replied, "I'll have you free in no time."

With a zip of his shuriken, she was free of - whatever that purple stretchy crap was. Huh. That was new.

"Awww, my aching brain," Raph groaned, as he stumbled out of the van, "What hit me?"

"It was that huge rhino, dude!" Casey answered, a little disturbed that Raph couldn't even remember. He wondered how many concussions Raph had already suffered in his short lifetime.

His musings were cut short, as the blood in his veins turned to ice water.

"Right there!" he cried, pointing at the hulking, gray, mutant rhino.

"Turtles?! Free?!"

The rhino lowered his horn and charged at the van.

_CRAPCRAPCRAPNOTAGAIN CRAP RUN!_

Casey ran pell-mell out of the way of the charging rhino, only just making it to safety in time.

"What do we do, Leo?!" Donnie shouted.

"You three go after Karai!" Leo replied, "Me, Raph, and Mikey will take Rocksteady!"

_Aww. "Rocksteady?" "Hornhead" is totally better. _

_WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? FOCUS, JONES!_

He ran off after Donnie and April as they approached the Haunted House. Kinda looked familiar…woah, hang on!

"Wicked! This was my favorite fun house as a kid!"

Sweet! Nothin' like home court advantage. He probably even still remembered exactly how to get through the mirror maze, assuming they hadn't changed anything.

"Careful!" April said, as they made their way in, "He's close - invisible…he's - "

_He? I thought we were lookin' for Karai? Unless…she's talking about that other mutant they were - _

He gasped with the others as a brightly painted prop-monster sprang out of nowhere.

"_I HATE THAT!_" Donnie cried, furiously, "I _hate_ it when stuff jumps out at ya!"

Casey snorted. Wimp.

Though he had to admit - it wasn't nearly as much fun when there was _actual_ danger lurking in the -

His train of thought was completely derailed, as Donnie was abruptly flung to the side, as though battered by an invisible hand.

"I know exactly what you mean!" said a smug voice from the darkness.

Casey hastily unsheathed his hockey stick, taking April's flank. Without warning though, the stick was yanked from his grip, and wielded against him, catching him a painful blow right on the ear. He hit the deck hard, head still ringing from his earlier concussion.

_Ugh. Maybe I should start wearing a helmet. _

Dimly, he heard the smug voice issuing another taunt, and then April's grunt as she hit the ground as well. No! He had to get to her - had to stop him!

Scrambling on his hands and knees, he made his way to her side and flung himself on top of her, shielding her with his body from further, invisible blows.

"Case! Get _off!__"_ April scowled, pushing him aside.

Reluctantly, Casey slowly stood into a crouch, eyes darting to all the shadowy corners of the black-lit corridor. He strained to hear movement, but could only hear the thrum of his own pulse and their loud breathing.

_This is crazy. _

He knew they were supposed to be looking for Karai, knew they should be fighting this guy - but what he wanted most of all was to scoop April up, run straight through the mirror maze, and get her the hell out of there. How was he supposed to protect her from an enemy he couldn't even see? And what kind of _jerk_ hits girls, anyway?! Especially girls who can't even see to fight back?! Casey scooped his hockey stick up from where it lay abandoned on the floor.

"Come out,_ pig!_" he hollered, pacing in a circle around April, "Show yourself!"

"His name's Bebop!" Donnie offered, just before the invisible assailant yanked his legs out from under him yet again.

"My name is NOT BEBOP!" the ghost attacker whined, as Donnie hit the ground.

Casey wheeled towards the sound, still unsure where to strike - but Don quickly solved that problem with a ninja smoke bomb. Casey coughed against the smoke being in such a small space - but he had to admit, it worked like a charm. The powder illuminated the silhouette of the giant -

_Huh. Yep. That's a giant mutated warthog, alright._

Casey wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that this didn't really faze him anymore.

Sharing a friendly grin with Don, he readied his hockey stick.

"Aw, dang," whined the warthog.

_Nighty night, pork chop. _

With a satisfying crunch, both Donnie's bo and Casey's bat connected squarely with Bebop's chest, and with a shattering of plywood, he went flying out of the Haunted House onto the boardwalk.

Leaping through their newly-made exit, Casey and Donnie lead the charge with April bringing up the rear.

Bebop wasn't phased for long though, and soon they were dodging purple laser blasts from those crazy hip cannon things.

"Woooo! Hee hee! Ow!"

"Shut UP, already!"

Casey charged, but Bebop dodged his high-sticking, and swept his legs painfully. He landed funny, felt something in his knee twinge, and he crashed to the ground yet again, his head bouncing back on the wooden planks. The world slowly began to grow dark.

_No, no, no! Hang on, man. April needs you!_

Colored spots swam in his vision, and his stomach lurched as he focused on staying conscious. He rolled onto his side, swallowing back bile.

_Aw man. Don__'__t upchuck. Not in front of April._

Yeah, he definitely had a concussion. Ugh. This fight _sucked! _

He heard Donnie grunt behind him as he hit the deck, too. No! Now there was nobody to protect -

"Ow!"

But it wasn't April who had cried out. Casey glanced over and saw Bebop shaking his head, as April's weird ninja fan weapon-thingie came flying back to her hand.

_Damn. That was pretty hot. _

"You picked the wrong night to mess with me, girl!"

Casey's eyes widened as the warthog did something weird with his purple mohawk - it started glowing…glowing exactly like the lasers at his…

_Oh no. _

He was about to cry out for April to duck, when a strange screaming caught his attention, and he saw all of Rocksteady's massive bulk come flying through the air like a gray-and-camo cannonball, smashing directly into Bebop. They went tumbling head-over-heels, crashed into the van with enough force to tip it over, and landed in an undignified heap.

Oh man. He wished his brain had instant replay, because that was freakin' _sweet._

"Everyone okay?" Donnie asked, sparing him a nervous glance.

You know, Donnie could be a butthead sometimes, but Casey had to admit, he was majorly relieved Don was in one piece. He thought back guiltily to earlier that night, when he'd wished he could make him disappear. It was sorta creepy to think about, now, after such a close shave.

"Think I only sprained a leg or two," Casey said, giving Don a reassuring grin.

"Karai!" Leo called, "I know you're here! Come out! You don't have to be afraid anymore!"

_No, Leo, it__'__s cool, we__'__re fine. Sheesh. One track mind, much? _

Then again, he had to cut him a little slack. He knew how it felt to get tunnel-vision about a girl. Groaning, Casey staggered to his feet.

Karai slithered out from behind a building, stopping in front of Leo.

Casey eyed her freaky mutated snake body…it seemed her mutation was even crazier than most he'd seen so far. There was hardly anything human about her anymore - she had snake heads for hands, for cryin' out loud! That's just _wrong_. Like…did they have brains, too? Did they, like…_talk_ to each other? Creep city.

"We can help you!" Leo promised, holding up the retromutagen, "With this!"

_Welp. Now or never. _

Casey watched as Leo dosed Karai with Donnie's weird-lookin' Tang. They all waited with bated breath for Karai's transformation to begin…

…nothing.

"It…doesn't work," Leo said, eyeing the remaining Tang in the cartridge, "Donnie?!"

Casey winced to hear the panic in Leo's voice. He sounded like a kid. With a start, he realized he basically still was - he forgot sometimes that Leo was practically the same age as the rest of the guys - and only a year or two younger than himself. He acted so much older most of the time.

But Karai seemed to have that unbalancing effect on him.

Like, what was that story April told him about? Some old story where this chick cuts a guys hair off and all of a sudden instead of being super-strong, he was all weak and stuff.

Yeah…Karai was Leo's weakness, alright. S'probably why Raph didn't like her much.

Casey nervously glanced at April out of the corner of his eye, tried to imagine what it'd feel like - knowing he was losing her forever, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I told you, Leo!" Donnie was explaining, "Karai is special! She's not a normal mutant."

"It was all for nothing?" Raph asked, nursing an injured shoulder.

"It doesn't matter," Leo hastily said, "You can come home with us, Karai! We'll take care of you. I promise!"

He put his hand over his heart.

"Nooo," Karai hissed, "Too….dangeroussssss. My mind…issss….go…ing…"

She slithered away. Leo reached for her in vain, a tortured expression on his face.

Casey had no love for Karai. He barely knew the girl, and from what Raph had said about her, he didn't much care to. She sounded like a grade A psycho, even if she _was_ Master Splinter's long-lost kid, and it was obvious that whatever else, Raph was right about one thing; she was a major distraction for Leo. Still, at least she had finally seen reason in the end, had tried to get away from her crazy Dad - talk about psycho! And what had she gotten for her pains? Mutated - disfigured…her mind getting slowly erased, helpless to stop it.

Nobody should have to go through that.

"Then…then why did you want us to find you?" Leo asked, helplessly.

"Wanted…to…sssay….goodbye. To…all…of you," Karai hissed, and closed her eyes, as if she could shut out how horrible that sounded.

_Dude. This sucks. _

The resolute disappointment on her snake-like features…Leo's crushed expression…it all kinda hit him right in the breadbasket. He even felt bad for Don, who was, no doubt, kicking himself for not having the Mr. Wizard science-magic to fix it all. He'd worked so hard for so long on that retromutagen…and in the end, it didn't even matter.

Suddenly, Karai slithered away from them and flung herself into the water.

"No!" Leo cried, racing after her in vain. "_Karai!_"

They watched in silence as Leo stared hopelessly at the dark, choppy waters, the tails of his mask blowing gently in the breeze. Well, mostly in silence. Casey was pretty sure Mikey was sniffling. Couldn't really blame him.

"We'll figure out a way to help you, Karai. I promise."

Casey shook his head, sadly. Leo couldn't see it yet, but…she was already gone.

"Guys," April said, turning to look behind them, "Bebop and Rocksteady are gone!"

_What?! But they were unconscious!_

_Well, obviously they woke up, stupid. Nice going, Jones._

Oh man, he _knew_ they should've been keeping an eye on them!

"Ah, let 'em go," Raph said, sourly, "Next time we see 'em? They won't walk away."

"Come on, team," Mikey said, sadly, "Let's go home."

They started trudging towards the exit to the amusement park. Casey could already tell it was going to be a long, quiet slog back to headquarters.

He knew she didn't usually go for that kinda thing, but on impulse, he reached for April's hand, and was surprised when she actually took it. Maybe it was because he obviously wasn't trying to mack it to her…he just…kinda really needed to hold her hand right now.

Maybe she needed it, too.


	8. The Battle for New York

"The Mighty Mutanimals leading the ground charge is the perfect distraction!" Raph crowed from his place at the telescope. His voice was filled with hope.

It grated on Leo's ears, just how happy he was to see Slash again. _Somebody_ had a short memory.

"See? The Turtles and the Mutanimals were meant to work together!" Mikey agreed, chirping in Leo's ear, "Riiiiiight Leo? Leo? Leooooo?"

Leo's eyes narrowed, as he watched the Mutanimals fending off the Kraang below them.

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

_"__Ah!__" _

Donnie's knee buckled under him and his arm strained against his sling as he reached out for nothing - but Leo was already there to brace him, darting to his side with lightning speed.

"Nice and slow, Donnie."

"Yeah, sorry. Just lost my balance, and I reached out with the bad arm. Stupid."

"You okay, bro?" Raph asked, anxiously, leaping up off the couch from his place next to Mikey.

Leo couldn't help but scowl. Raph had been extra attentive as Don and Mikey recuperated from Slash's attack. In his heart, Leo knew that it was mostly because Raph was a good brother - he was always attentive when one of them was injured, more so than he ever was under "normal" circumstances. But he also knew that part of what was motivating Raph was guilt. And that same nagging guilt in Raphael took the form of a nagging resentment in Leo.

Yes, Slash was his own person now - and Raphael would never want to see his brothers hurt like this. Of course Raphael couldn't logically be blamed for Slash's actions.

Not logically.

However, it really didn't take a Freud to realize that Slash's dangerous and violent grudge against them obviously had its genesis in Raph's own complaints over the years. Leo wondered how many nights Raph had spent pouring his heart out to Spike, complaining that his brothers were weaker than him, slower than him, holding him back, didn't understand…Slash was like a warped fun house mirror - a distortion of the truth, perhaps - but a reflection of it nonetheless, however ugly.

And he could only imagine what Raph had been saying about _him. _

"I've _got_ it," Leo said, trying to keep his voice from being too cold.

He guided Donnie's good arm over his shoulders, and led him to the kitchen.

"Let's get you some ice, Donnie," he said, his voice a bit warmer.

Raph's face fell a bit and he nodded, with a lopsided smile.

"GAME ON!" Mikey said, jabbing his thumbs into the controller and resuming the fight before Raph was ready. His face was still blotchy with lumps and bruises, and his leg was propped up on a fluffy pillow.

"Cheater," Raph countered with a grin, flopping down on the couch next to him. Leo could hear his heart wasn't really in it, but that he was making a special effort to cheer Mikey up.

Hmph. Good. About time Raph actually spent some time with Mikey. He idolized Raph, always had. Shame he had to be beaten unconscious before Raphael noticed. Or even cared.

"Speaking of ice," Don muttered softly enough not to be overheard.

"Something on your mind?" Leo asked lightly, helping to settle him carefully on a kitchen chair. He went to the freezer and got out a fresh ice pack for Don, grabbing the plastic wrap off the counter.

"How long are you going to hold it against him?" Don asked quietly, his brown eyes warm with sympathy. One of those eyes was still tinged with red, and ringed with a dark purple bruise.

Leo avoided his gaze guiltily as he knelt down, and started a layer of plastic wrap around Don's knee. Adding the ice pack, he wrapped it in place, giving Don's question some thought.

"How about until your bruises fade?" he muttered grumpily, "Fair enough?"

He glanced over at the couch, and caught a glimpse of Raph's emerald green eyes before he quickly darted them away, back to the game. Mikey was laughing and crowing with his imminent victory.

"FINISH HIM," the game roared in a macho baritone.

"AWWW yeah, son!" Mikey crowed, his fingers mashing some ultimate secret combo - it sounded like mice tap-dancing on the controller.

Whoever was on screen shot a chain through Raph's character's chest, dragged out his heart, and held it, still beating, in his little digital hand.

"BOOYAKASHAAAAA!" Mikey cheered.

Raph chuckled, "Nice one."

"That game is disgusting," Leo muttered sourly, to nobody.

To his surprise, Donnie smiled, and took the plastic wrap out of his hands, tearing it off, and neatly tamping down the end on his shin.

"I think that's got it, Leo," he said.

"You want one for your shoulder?" Leo asked, anxiously, still kneeling, "Is your sling okay? You want me to adjust the height?"

Don put a hand on Leo's shoulder, and trapped him again in his warm, brown gaze.

"It wasn't your fault, Leo."

Leo blinked in surprise.

"Um…yeah. I know."

Don smiled. "Good."

He stood precariously, and made his way back to the couch.

"I've got winner! Fork it over, Raph."

Leo watched him toddle back to the couch, standing thoughtfully.

What the heck was THAT supposed to mean? Of _course_ it wasn't his fault. It was R - it was _Slash__'__s_ fault.

Yet even as he defended himself in his head, watching his three brothers clustered together on the couch, laughing and pointing at the video game, his heart sank.

His brothers had _needed_ him. And where was he? Having _tea time_.

Of course, he had a job to do - that mutagen was dangerous, and it needed to be recovered. He had saved that cute little girl from being mutated into who knows what. And he'd had no idea at the time that his brothers were in danger. No one could logically blame him for that.

Not logically.

Leo sighed, as he realized Raph wasn't the only one feeling guilty.

As if sensing his eyes on him, Raph turned from the game his little brothers were embroiled in, and his emerald eyes found Leo's cobalt blue ones, again. He held his gaze for a moment, then looked down, sadly.

Leo realized then that Slash didn't just represent Raphael's failure - he was their shared shame. If Slash was a warped reflection of Raphael's own anger, frustration, and resentment, then he was also a warped reflection of Leo's abject _failure_…his failure to lead, his failure to protect his brothers when they needed him most…but also his failure to connect, to _listen__…_

His failure as a brother.

Making a sudden decision, Leo walked over and flopped down next to Raph decidedly.

"I've got winner," he announced.

Raph looked up at him in surprise, searching his face with wide green eyes, not daring to believe that he'd already been forgiven. It hurt Leo to see that timid expression on his proud, aloof brother.

He smiled reassuringly, and under the guise of turning towards the television, he tucked one foot under his leg, and put his arm along the back of the couch.

And if that meant he happened to put his arm behind Raphael, then so what?

Raph smiled, and quickly looked back at the TV, blinking rapidly.

**TMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmntTMNTtmnt**

"I saw the way you sacrificed yourself for your teammates, Slash…and I have to admit, I underestimated you. You really stepped it up as a team leader."

Leo held out his hand.

"I just modeled myself after the best leader I knew," Slash admitted, sheepishly, "You."

Slash took Leo's hand in his own, massive one, with its bony protuberances. Leo's eyes flew wide at the raw, restrained power in his grip, but also at the stunning admission.

He found his eyes wandering to Raphael's, who was watching with a grin, arms folded across his plastron.

If Slash had been a warped reflection of Raphael - could this also be a reflection of his brother? Could this be a fun-house glimpse of the things Raph wanted to say, but didn't? Or couldn't?

And maybe, just maybe, if that was true…it meant that he wasn't such a bad leader after all…wasn't such a bad _brother_ after all.

Maybe it meant that he was finally getting it right.

It was weird, but - shaking hands with Slash made him feel closer to his brother than he had in a long time.

"Turtles - Mutanimals," he said, with a grin, "It's time to celebrate!"


	9. Casey Jones vs The Underworld

Splinter stepped into the dojo - still dark and musty-smelling from neglect.

Gently, he placed the shattered and re-glued fish bowl that had once held his children on the shelf, in its place of honor. Had they ever really been that tiny? It seemed impossible now, thinking of the brave, strong young men they had become, each a source of pride in their own way.

Michaelangelo, his "youngest." That youthful energy could prove a distraction, but it also granted him speed, dexterity, and a relentless optimism, a refusal to give in that not only served him in battle, but buoyed their small family with kindness and light.

Donatello, with his brilliant, curious mind…but it was not only his formidable intellect, but his heart, his gentle disposition and genuine desire to be of service to others that made him special. Whereas Leonardo's perfectionism had honed him to a sharp blade, however, the same perfectionism blunted Donatello - unable to see his accomplishments, his own worst detractor…he hoped his son would come to learn his own worth, but feared he might be pinning too much of it to the sleeve of a certain redhead.

Then Raphael, his brave, strong warrior - loyal and fierce…and tempestuous. There was fire in his son's belly, that was certain. Yet he was proud of the growth he had displayed this year. If anything positive had come of Leonardo's terrible injuries, it was that Raphael had learned more than ever the value of teamwork - the value of family. Perhaps he was learning to let that flame fuel him, rather than consume him.

And of course, his Leonardo…the hardest-working of his sons, so driven, so focused - so eager to please. Who shouldered such a heavy, unfair burden, who had _asked_ for it, and bore it without complaint or fatigue. His selfless son who dreamed of greatness, never suspecting it was already within him.

Who still liked to sit too close to the television and watch Space Heroes.

Who used to have trouble with his R's…who asked for "Fwosted Fwakes" for breakfast until he was five.

Splinter meant to smile, but the feeling got twisted up with a pang of loss, somehow, as he lovingly adjusted the pink plastic palm tree so it rested just so.

How had they grown up so quickly? Time seemed to move so slowly when they were little ones, but now it seemed to be accelerating, faster and faster into the future…and up until very recently, that future had seemed all too uncertain.

And he couldn't help but be reminded of a childhood he had missed entirely - that had been cruelly torn from him, irreplaceable, lost forever to time and distance, and a future that seemed even more uncertain.

With a heavy heart, he reached into the folds of his kimono and withdrew the black-and-white photo…he, his wife, and his daughter stared impassively back at him, like ghosts from another life. Tang Shen…

Miwa.

He murmured her name as he set the photo tenderly on the shelf, like a shrine to one already gone. He feared it to be true…she had not been sighted since Leo had last found her at Coney Island, and she had said that she felt her mind slipping. He had to acknowledge the possibility that it was already too late…that whatever remained of his daughter was already lost, consumed by the serpent.

They were home again - the Kraang were gone - his sons were safe. And yet, it was not complete. And the physical devastation and decay throughout the lair was only a visual testament to the devastation and decay of the past year. It would take much more than mops and buckets to set things right.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and reached silently out into the universe for his missing daughter, praying for her safety, praying fate would be kind enough to reunite them once more. Then, he turned his focus closer to home, tried to sense where his sons were.

Making his decision, he set out for the lab. Leo and Raph were hard at work cleaning, and Michaelangelo, as usual, was eating (though eating what, he shuddered to guess). But his gentle, intelligent son's melancholy seeped out of his lab like a looming cloud of fog…he had been heartbroken to see the ransacked state of his laboratory. 

A little perspective, a little encouragement, and a helping paw would go a long way to improving his mood.

And selfishly, he wanted to offer his love, his comfort, and his wisdom to his son, while he was still young enough to wish it.

**A/N: Yeah. I didn****'****t really dig this ep. :/ From the title it sounded like it was going to be EPIC and****…****it was just****…****good. Y****'****know? Solid, but****…****eh. I spent most of the time being annoyed at Casey (he is SO lucky to be breathing right now) and being annoyed at the turtles for not realizing that their words were hurtful and pushing him out the door into a dangerous situation. Seems to me that they all need to learn in general that words hurt****…****they pull the same treatment on Mikey, too, and it makes me mad. It****'****s going to catch up to them one day, if they****'****re not careful. It****'****s a bad habit to speak carelessly and unkindly, and can be downright dangerous. ******

**Also, is it just me, or does it seem slightly out of character that he****'****s more concerned with beating up Hun than finding his Dad and little sister? :/ Anybody? Bueller? **

**That little fishbowl and the pink plastic palm tree gave me FEELS though. XD **


	10. The Noxious Avenger

"Knock knock," Leo said, cheerfully narrating his own actions, "We're gonna play some MarioKart to celebrate being un-grounded. You in?"

"Hmm?" Mikey said, distractedly, "Oh, yeah. Be right there."

Leo blinked. That didn't sound like Mikey.

"You okay?" he asked, carefully climbing into Mike's room, watching where he placed each step, lest his foot land on something…unsavory.

"Yeahhhh," Mike said, stretching out the word in such a way that it was obvious he wasn't.

"Spill," Leo said, sitting on the edge of Mikey's bed. Mike rolled onto his side and leaned on one elbow.

"I dunno," Mike shrugged, sullenly, "Muckman is a mutant…and he gets to be a hero, and be on TV, and people actually like him. I mean…I know we're mutants, but…at least we're not…y'know."

Leo grinned. He had to love Mikey for drawing short of calling Muckman "ugly" or "stinky" or "terrifyingly repulsive" or a host of any other adjectives that would be perfectly accurate.

"It's just, _sensei_ got so _mad_," Mikey pouted, "Would it really be so bad if people knew about us?"

"_Sensei_ just wants to keep us safe," Leo said, patting Mikey's knee.

"Yeah, but - maybe if they actually got to know us… they'd like us," Mikey said, hopefully.

Leo sighed.

"Mikey, anybody who got to know you would like you."

"Yeah?" Mikey grinned.

_Gah. Puppy eyes. _

"Yeah," Leo smiled, "Besides, we're friends with April and with Casey now, right? And we even made friends with Muckman."

"True," Mikey nodded, thoughtfully.

"So maybe we'll make more friends soon."

"Yeah…hey, yeah!" Mikey said, grinning widely, and just like that, all the gloom and doom was tossed casually aside like it never existed.

Mike sat up and flung his arms around Leo's neck.

"You're the best, Leo!"

He skipped lightly out of his room, knowing exactly where to place his feet out of habit.

"Hey, wait for me!" he hollered.

Suspiciously eyeing a pile that looked like it might have just _moved_, Leo carefully picked his way through the mess to rejoin his brothers.


	11. Clash of the Mutanimals

Raph jumped as the dishes clattered in the sink.

Mikey was humming tunelessly, already adding dish detergent and getting ready to clean up from breakfast. Nobody else seemed bothered by the sudden noise.

Raph shook his head, like he was chasing away a fly, and stood up from the table.

"M'takin' a shower."

Leo gave him a bewildered, dubious look.

"Didn't you shower right after training?"

"Maybe," Raph snapped testily, "I just feel - like a shower, that okay with you? What're you, the Shower Cops?!"

Leo rolled his eyes.

"Aaaand he's back."

The glib comment stung like lemon juice on a paper cut.

"Whatever."

* * *

Standing in the shower, Raph put his hands on the wall, and let the hot water wash over his neck and shoulders, as hot as he could stand it. He blew water off his lips, leaned out of the spray for a moment, and looked at the bottle of soap, contemplated lathering up.

He didn't. The idea bothered him for some reason.

He looked at the bruises and cuts on his arms and legs - the cuts were almost healed, the bruises nearly faded…soon they'd be gone.

He stood there with his hands on the wall and let the water run over him until it turned cold.

* * *

"Earth to Raph!"

Raph snapped out of his reverie, his heart hammering a mile a minute, Space Heroes on in the background. How long had he just been sitting there staring into space?

"Ya hungry?" Mike said, poking him in the arm with a cardboard pizza box, "Food. Y'know. _Foooooooood?__"_

The smell of pizza, usually an intoxicating aroma, just made Raph's stomach turn. He hadn't really felt like breakfast, either. Maybe he was coming down with something.

"Nah," he said, "I'm good."

Leo and Donnie made furtive eye contact, and then turned back to the TV.

"What?!" Raph snapped.

"Nothing! Relax," Leo mumbled, turning the volume up.

* * *

Raph continued his bench presses, his grunting echoing off the garage walls each time he lifted the bar, while Don hummed to himself and continued his repairs on the ShellRaiser. His arms were already burning, but he was determined to hit a new record today.

"Twenty eight," he hissed through gritted teeth, "Twenty…nnnnine…"

He lowered the bar, struggled to lift it again, and with swiftly growing concern, realized he couldn't. The bar sank onto his chest, despite his best efforts, and suddenly he was back _there_, strapped to a table, unable to break free, and a giant fly was holding a giant worm that bit into his skin and -

"_HELP!" _

The word sprang unbidden from his mouth.

There was a scrambling sound and a few metallic clanks of tools being dropped, and suddenly, Donnie was there.

"I gotcha!" Donnie said, pulling up on the bar. He grunted.

"_Geez,_ Raph! How much?! - Come on, you gotta help!"

Raph summoned the last of his strength and pushed while Donnie pulled. He felt the bench shudder underneath him and heard the metallic clank as the bar finally settled into its notch.

"What're you _thinking_?!" Donnie said, checking the weight, "This is at least - "

"I _know _how much it is," he growled.

"If you're gonna lift that heavy, you need a spotter," Don scolded, "you could've - "

"Alright already, back _off!__"_ Raph snapped, sitting up in a hurry, and rotating his right shoulder. He felt a tight ache in his chest and was having trouble taking a deep breath. Musta jacked something up with that last lift.

Raph waited for Don to go back to the Shell Raiser, but he didn't. He just stood there staring at him.

"It must have been…weird," he finally said.

"What musta been weird?" Raph grumbled, wearily.

"Being under Shredder's control," Don said, hesitantly, "Having him control your…body like that."

Raph shrugged, noncommittally. Something about the way Don said "body" made him feel…

Feel like he wanted another shower.

"What did he make you do? Before we got there."

He remembered resisting with all his strength, feeling his knees buckle despite his best efforts, and to his own horror, _bowing - _bowing to the most evil, cruel, disgusting person he could imagine. Knowing that he could make him do _anything_, anything at all, and he was completely powerless to resist. Watching, helplessly, while his own body attacked Leo, wondering why he couldn't stop himself, terrified that somehow, some part of him _wanted_ this to be happening.

"Whatever. S'over now."

Don pursed his lips, and Raph ignored him some more.

"You been sleeping okay?"

Raph wanted to give a nasty retort, but it died on his tongue. Truthfully, he hadn't - the past couple of nights he'd stayed up way too late with Mikey. It was easy to bribe him into some video games, or a late night-horror-movie marathon - he practically lapped up the undivided attention. But eventually he either said goodnight and went to bed, or just passed out on the couch, and then Raph was alone in the dark while everybody else slept.

"What you're going through," Donnie said, softly, "It's normal. Lots of people - "

"Really, Don?" Raph snarled, "Lots of people get mind-controlled by their worst enemy?"

"It wasn't your fault, Raph," Don said, firmly.

"Yeah," Raph muttered, looking away.

"It wasn't," Don repeated, "You know that, right? You know -"

"I should've fought harder!" Raph spat, staring at the garage floor, the words spilling out of him like bile, "I should have been able to fight him off! Why couldn't I - Leo was right, if I hadn't been so _reckless,_ and gotten myself captured like an _idiot,_ then none of this would have -

"Raph, it wasn't your - "

Wide-eyed, Raph batted Donnie's hand away fiercely before he could put it on his shoulder.

"Sorry," Don said, holding his hands up, eyes round, "Sorry, I - "

"_Don__'__t touch me,_" Raph growled, the pain in his chest tightening.

"I won't!" Don said immediately, sincerely, even taking a step back to prove his point. "Promise!"

Raph grit his teeth and looked away. What was the_ matter_ with him?

"Raph - what happened to you, it was - "

"_What?!__"_ Raph snapped, trying to stay angry, _needing_ to be angry, afraid of what he'd feel if he _wasn__'__t_ angry, "What happened to me was _what,_ Donnie?!"

"Raph, it was r- "

Don stopped himself, and they held eye contact for a moment, Raph held his breath, emerald eyes burning holes into Donnie, daring him to finish that sentence, his hands already curling into fists.

"Wrong," Donnie finally said, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "What happened to you, it was…_wrong._"

Raph looked down, and nodded jerkily, swallowing hard.

"And if you ever wanna talk about it…I'm here."

Raph nodded mutely.

"You…wanna hug?" Don asked.

Raph fixed Donnie with a withering glare.

"Okay, okay! Um," Donnie hedged, "Fist bump?"

Raph snorted, and rolled his eyes, mirthlessly offering his fist. Donnie bumped it, and smiled. Without being asked, he unwound the bolts and began removing half the weight from Raph's bar.

"There," he said, re-tightening the bolts, "You wanna lift more than that, call me, and I'll spot you."

He started walking back towards the Shell Raiser, when Raph grabbed his wrist.

"Don't tell Leo," he whispered, barely audible, trying to make it sound more like a threat and less like begging.

Don shook his head. "Of course I won't."

Raph nodded and let go of Donnie's hand.

Don smiled reassuringly, nodded in response, and went back to work on the Shell Raiser.

Raph contemplated his weights for a moment.

He decided to go take another shower.


	12. Meet Mondo Gecko

**Meet Mondo Gecko **

"Mom - no, seriously, _Mom!__" _

Jason ducked as a vase went flying over his head and smashed into the wall behind him.

This was not going well.

"Mom! For real, it's me! It's _Jason!__" _

"_GET OUT!__"_ she shrieked, _"__WALTER?! WALTER!__"_

"I'm coming, Deb!"

There was a distinctive "ch-chk" and Jason's stepfather came thundering down the stairs carrying a shot gun.

"Yer fer _serious _pulling a _gun_ on me right now?!"

"You get out of my house this INSTANT, you _freak!__" _Walter yelled, flecks of spittle flying from his mouth.

Jason felt his blood boiling.

"It's not even _your _house, _Wally._ It's me and _Mom__'__s_ house!"

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SON?!"

"I keep tryin' to_ tell_ you, it's - "

"I'm gonna count to three, freak!" Walter shouted, "One…two?…"

Jason's face fell.

"Alright, alright. Sheesh," he took a step towards the staircase, "Lemme at least get my stuff out of my - "

The shot was deafeningly loud, and he ducked and covered his head out of instinct. Fortunately the shot went wide, and the picture frame of him, his Mom, and his real Dad exploded in a shower of glass and plaster.

"_Dude!__"_

_"__WALTER!__"_ his Mom cried, gripping his arm desperately, _"__Don__'__t! _What if he isn't lying?! What if he changed somehow into - "

"Deborah, leave this to me!" Walt shouted. He jerked the shotgun at the door. "Get moving, _monster!__" _

Jason looked at his mother beseechingly.

"Mom. You _know_ that it's me. Aren't you going to stop him?"

Her eyes darted between him and Walter, him and Walter, the same way they always did, and he knew right away what she was going to do - the same thing she always did.

Nothing.

Scowling, he looked at Walter next, who was standing there with the shotgun, and -

Smirking. He was actually smirking at him.

He knew exactly who he was. He was just glad to finally have an excuse to get rid of him.

"Fine. I don't need you. I hate it here anyway, this place is _bogus._ Soon as I can, I'm going straight back to Cali. So, yeah. Peace out,_ jerkwads.__"_

He turned and stomped towards the door.

"Oh, Walter!" his Mom sobbed. Jason felt a twinge of guilt as his hand touched the doorknob, "It _must_ be him, it _talks _like - "

"Keep walking, _freak!__"_ Walter gritted.

Shaking his head, Jason stormed out of the house and kicked his board up into his hands. He jumped down from the porch, got a running start, dropped his board, and skated away for good.

It wouldn't be so bad. He could make it on his own. Lots of kids did it, right? Boost a few wallets if he had to, maybe ask the Dragons for work, move a little ganja. Fong was talking about this giant mutant fish guy with robot legs…and said there were other mutants, too. They'd probably help him out, right?

His wheels sang out against the pavement and the familiar sound was like the street itself was singing him a soothing lullaby, singing "welcome home."


	13. The Deadly Venom

**The Deadly Venom**

She's dying.

Oh God, she's dying. I'm losing her. I'm losing her just like I lost her mother.

And _you._

What are you _doing _about it?! This is your fault, you were supposed to protect her, you brought this crazy snake person down on her, so what are you doing to _fix_ it? It's not enough? Not enough that you already took everything from me, already took her mother, already took my humanity, TWICE, now you're going to take my daughter, you aliens and mutants and _creatures_ and _FREAKS_ and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that's wrong, I know, I'm sorry: I should know better, I know April cares about you, I know she would be ashamed of me if she could hear what I'm thinking but she can't be ashamed of me if she's _DEAD OH GOD_ I should have taken her to a hospital _breathe_ honey, _breathe!_

_You._ I'm on to you. I see the way you drool all over her, just like that Jones boy. Look at her. Look at her in her little pajamas. She's a baby. _My _baby.

I hope you know you don't deserve her. I hope you know it every single day. I hope you _all_ know. And I hope to God you have something up your sleeve because I swear, if you get my precious baby girl killed, my April, my breath of Spring, so like her mother, so sweet, so smart, so stubborn…

Her first word was Dada.

Do you even know that?

She wouldn't be mad at you.

But I am.

I am _livid._

And I want you to know it. I want you to know that if you hurt her, that if you_ LET_ anyone hurt her, the things I will do to you will make the Shredder look like a kitchen utensil.

And_ you._

April_ has_ a father.

Me. _I__'__m_ her father.

I_ thought_ you were protecting her, I _thought _you were teaching her to take care of herself, but no, you fill her head with your ninja warrior_ nonsense,_ teach her to throw that metal fan around, and then expect her to sit quietly on the sidelines out of danger? You _clearly_ don't know my daughter. Because you are _not_ her father, _I AM_ and if you think_ this _qualifies as "protecting" her you are -

_Chanting?_

You're chanting.

We're _chanting_ now?

Oh my God, she's actually going to die.

I should have taken her to a hospital. I don't know what I was thinking.

My April is going to die in a_ sewer._

Oh God. _Please_ no.

Oh_ God._


End file.
